Old Friends= New Adventures

Friday afternoon I packed some clothes into my backpack and kissed all the boys (Scott included) before heading into DC for the night. Although nights away from my family are extremely rare, I try to make the most when the opportunity arises. This time I was meeting Tammy, my closest friend, in the city to prepare for the Tax March on Saturday. In order to avoid the chaos of trying to drive on the day of the protest, we opted to get a hotel room and a quick girlfriends getaway adventure.

I would say that I was sad driving away from my house, but that would be a lie. I did try to temper my jubilation from the boys as I said good-bye. I'm fairly sure that Scott saw me skipping to the car as I made my escape. I couldn't help but be happy to leave.  Hamlet has been extremely high maintenance, and I was in desperate need of a reprieve from the chaos. I was also looking forward to hanging out with my friend, an occasion which does not happen nearly enough. 

While Scott took care of the boys, I had a fantastic time in DC. Tammy and I walked through China Town before meandering through the National Portrait Gallery (she is an artist). Tammy is one of the few people with whom I can be completely silly. It doesn't matter that we are both now in our 40's. Whenever we are together we end up giggling and acting like young college students. We spent our time at the Gallery posing with the various statues and paintings. Our silly poses were definitely not something I would have done if I were in the company of any other adults. But with Tammy, I don't have to worry about being mature. We just have fun.

After the gallery closed we headed back to our room, ordered room service wine and began to work on our posters for the Tax March. After the slogans were conceived, she was in charge of creation and design. I tried to help by coloring in the words, but in reality she did the lions share of the work for the signs and our shirts. Saturday morning we woke up, grabbed breakfast and headed to the protest.

I found being surrounded by thousands of like minded individuals to be empowering. I drew strength from the numbers of people standing with us to demand that President Trump's tax returns be released. Of course, our signs and shirts were a big hit with our fellow protestors. A stream of people approached us to take photos which was fun and added an unique aspect to the experience.

After the rally and march we headed back to the hotel, said goodbye and drove away in separate directions. Although it was only 24 hours, I left feeling stronger, happier and more centered. It is amazing what a few hours with an old friend can do!